If you have a large open area, place obstacles of various sorts throughout it. Have everyone separate into pairs in which one person wears a blindfold and the other orally must guide his partner through the obstacles to cross to the other side of the room. This activity builds trust among team members.
Hand each person one of several pictures. Without showing their pictures to each other, the group's members must take turns -- one by one -- to make up a story that describes what happened in all the pictures. Team members should consider each prior member’s piece of the story to complement the preceding person’s contribution to the tale.
Give each person a piece of pipe that has been cut in half. Together, team members must link the pieces of pipe to form a gutter and get a suitably sized ball from point A to point B. If you have a large group, add obstacles.
Have each person in the group blow up at least two balloons. Begin juggling with one balloon per person; during this activity, the group must ensure no balloons hit the ground. Add extra balloons gradually. For a challenge, instruct the group's members to juggle the balloons without their hands. They could use their heads, shoulders and other appropriate body parts to keep the balloons from hitting the floor.
Scavenger hunts can help orient people to a new environment, or they can make for a team-building activity during a company retreat. Make a list of items for team members to collect or information for them to find and send the group off in teams to gather them. The first team to complete the hunt should get a reward.
Present your group with a survival scenario -- whether it's imagining they’re in the desert, the jungle, the mountains or on the moon. Explain the weather conditions, how far you are from civilization and other key facts. Give them a list of 12 items they have and ask them to rank these items in order of importance, or give them a longer list and ask them to choose just a certain number of items from that list. For instance, if the list has 30 items, have team members select just six items they can use for survival. The group's members will work together to determine the items that should be kept and, in addition to teamwork, will practice efficiency skills that can serve them in the workplace.